by Shannon Butler
We’ve all driven or walked past it: a giant red castle that appears on top of the hill as you enter the city of Poughkeepsie from the west. It looks like something from another century, and like many of the old buildings of Poughkeepsie, it is! The New York State Armory was once the starting point for soldiers who were heading off to war. Over a century after its construction, it now serves as a place of worship, but the building has witnessed and hosted various occasions over the years, from sporting events to parties. The armory, as author Nancy Todd put it, “had three basic functions, they served as military facilities, clubhouses, and public monuments.” Ours has gone on to do even more.
The building was designed by Isaac G. Perry, who had quite the resume when it came to New York State architecture. Perry would ultimately be responsible for designing 27 armories, as well as the State Capitol in Albany. When it comes to State armories, they all tend to have a similar design: part drilling shed (where the soldiers do drills) and part administrative offices (where the paperwork gets done). They are meant to appear as fortresses, yet they somehow also feel approachable. Many of these buildings are constructed using brick and sandstone, with elements like towers and buttresses to give them a castle-like appearance. Construction on Poughkeepsie’s armory began in 1890, and it was inspected in May of 1893 by Perry, who proclaimed it complete and ready for military service.
The first units to operate in this building were local militia companies — the 15th and the 19th Separate Companies — who used the space in the days before the Spanish-American War. The armory would be the home of Poughkeepsie’s Company K, which first shipped out from here during the Spanish-American War and again during World War I. However, the space was not limited to military action. Clubs from around the community used the space for balls, flower shows, fundraisers, and basketball tourneys.
Perhaps one of the most famous events was held on January 30, 1935 — part birthday party and part fundraiser for what would eventually become known as the March of Dimes. The party was thrown in honor of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s birthday, and the ticket sales went to his research in finding a cure for Polio (infantile paralysis). The party raised a profit of $292.31 (not bad, considering we were still in a time of economic depression) and guests reportedly danced until 2:00 AM!
By 2011, the armory concluded its service as a military post as the National Guard began moving many of its troops to other facilities and closing down the old State armories. The building was auctioned off and now serves as the home of the Seventh Day Adventist Church. The building still has much of its old 19th century charm, but with new purpose, it’s still going strong over a century later.
References:
New York’s Historic Armories by Nancy Todd, 2006
Poughkeepsie Eagle News, 16 May 1893
Poughkeepsie Journal, 01 Aug 1943, Jan 1935
New York Times, 31 May 1891
Images:
01 – Colored postcard of the New York State Armory, Poughkeepsie – LH Collections
02 – Black and white photograph of the New York State Armory, Poughkeepsie – LH Collections
03 – Article from the Poughkeepsie Journal, concerning FDR’s birthday party, Jan 1935
